What Is AfroEcology?
AfroEcology is BSI's approach to land stewardship, blending AfroIndigenous ecological wisdom with modern conservation science (like USDA NRCS practices) to help Black and Afroindigenous growers build resilient, self-sufficient farms.
Why It Matters
Black and Afroindigenous growers have always carried land wisdom, but access to NRCS resources, funding, and certifications hasn't always followed. AfroEcology closes that gap, pairing traditional knowledge with modern conservation practices so growers can access funding, apply for programs like NRCS's Conservation Stewardship Program, and build farms that are more self-sufficient and resilient.
GET INVOLVED!
BECOME AN AFRO ECOLOGIST!
The AfroEcologist 3-Day Intensive is a hybrid training course, part online, part in-person, designed for growers, landowners, and enthusiasts ready to go deeper into AfroIndigenous ecological practices and NRCS conservation science. Through online classes, slide decks, quizzes, and a hands-on farm field day, participants build real, field-tested skills in areas like irrigation, high tunnel construction, and sustainable land management.
Graduates have the opportunity to become a paid extension of BSI's AfroEcology Program, helping ensure fellow farmers and landowners adopt respectful, sustainable practices and connecting them to funding opportunities like NRCS's Conservation Stewardship Program. You'll also learn to use the BSI map to link growers together across your region.
SOVEREIGN SEEDZ!
Sovereign Seedz is BSI's seed sovereignty initiative: a community seed bank, seed swaps, and seed-saving education built to preserve heirloom seeds and put the power to grow our own food back into our hands.
Seeds have always carried more than food, they carry culture, memory, and survival. The fewer seeds we control, the more dependent we become on industrial seed systems. Sovereign Seedz reverses that by keeping seeds in our community, adapted to our land, and free to pass on.
Join us at a Seed Swap, or reach out to contribute to the seed bank!
STAY CONNECTED
Upcoming Afro Ecology Events
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Why Sign Up?
AfroEcology is a movement to reclaim Black land, knowledge, and power through sustainable agriculture. At Black Sustainability, Inc. (BSI), AfroEcology brings together ancestral African and African diasporic farming wisdom with modern regenerative and climate-smart practices to help Black farmers build resilient, self-determined food systems.
Our programs move AfroEcology from idea to action. Participants gain hands-on training, access to conservation tools and funding pathways, and support from experienced practitioners and partner organizations. From high tunnels and water systems to cooperative economics and land stewardship, we equip growers with the skills and resources needed to thrive in a changing climate and economy.
When you join BSI’s AfroEcology programs, you are investing in your land, your livelihood, and your community. You become part of a growing network of Black farmers and land stewards working together to restore ecosystems, strengthen local food systems, and advance food sovereignty. Sign up to build skills, access opportunities, and cultivate a future rooted in justice, resilience, and collective care.